Outlook Business Desk
Sunil Mittal, founder and chairperson of Indian telecom major Bharti Airtel, rose in Forbes’ Top 10 Richest in India list released this week. This increase comes despite a weaker rupee and a 3% fall in the Sensex, which caused overall billionaire wealth to decline by 9% to $1 trillion.
According to Forbes India’s Richest 2025 list, Sunil Mittal moved up to become India’s fourth wealthiest person, ranking just behind Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, and Savitri Jindal, highlighting his rise despite broader declines in billionaire fortunes.
Sunil Mittal now has a net worth of $34.2 billion, up $3.5 billion from last year. This growth helped him move up three positions to reclaim the fourth spot, a rank he last held in 2008.
Sunil Mittal’s wealth rose after Bharti Enterprises, his holding company, acquired a 24.5% stake in UK telecom giant BT Group in 2024. Mittal further strengthened his influence by joining the company’s board in September 2025.
Sunil Mittal is the founder and chairperson of Bharti Enterprises, which owns Bharti Airtel. Recognised with the Padma Bhushan, he is celebrated as one of India’s most influential business leaders in the telecom sector.
Born in Punjab in 1957, Mittal studied at Mussoorie and Gwalior schools. He graduated in 1976 from Panjab University, Chandigarh, with a degree in economics and political science.
At 18, Mittal launched his first business selling bicycle crankshafts, using ₹20,000 borrowed from his father. This early venture marked the start of a remarkable journey that eventually led to one of India’s largest telecom enterprise.
Mittal pioneered India’s mobile telecom revolution. At a time when services were inaccessible to most, Bharti Airtel transformed the industry by offering affordable voice and data plans, making mobile communication available to millions nationwide.